"He has great footwork and it's just basketball IQ is off the charts" - Paul Pierce believes Boston Celtics' 3x All-Star's game is quite similar to him
Paul Pierce is one of the greatest players in NBA history. In his 19-year career, Pierce played for four different teams, but he is most remembered for his 15-year tenure with the Boston Celtics.
The swingman entered the league in 1998 as the 10th overall pick by Boston. In 2008, Pierce won the NBA championship with the Celtics, which was their first championship since 1986.
Now, it's 2022, and the Celtics have another chance to win it all. This time, they are led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Paul Pierce is a big fan of Tatum and believes their play styles are similar.
Paul Pierce praises Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum's 26-point performance in Game 7 helped the Celtics eliminate the Miami Heat and advance to the NBA Finals. He has been one of the best players this year and has averaged 26.9 points throughout the postseason.
"That's your title dawg."
Jimmy congratulates Jayson Tatum on making it to the NBA Finals 🤝 https://t.co/Dj4xkLwMDy
Pierce likes what he sees from Tatum and has recently compared their play styles, stating:
"He's very smooth. He has great footwork, and it's just basketball IQ is off the charts. You know ... he can do it all pretty much offensively and that's some of the traits that I had. I had no offensive weaknesses.
"I mean the way he can get to the hole, the way he can knock down to three, the midrange, get to the basket, and I think that's something he's improved on in the last couple of years ... his ability to get to the basket and finish with contact that's the biggest improvement I've seen from him."
Paul Pierce was the leader of the Celtics for more than a decade, and he knows what it takes to win it all. There is no doubt that Boston is in good hands with Jayson Tatum as its leader. We can expect them to make the finals against the Golden State Warriors very competitive.
Pierce compares himself to Luka Doncic as well
Luka Doncic is another great young player who had a fantastic playoff performance. Unfortunately, his Dallas Mavericks were eliminated by the Warriors in five games in the Western Conference finals.
When asked about Doncic and their similarities, this is what Paul Pierce had to say for the Hoop Genius podcast:
"Well, yeah, absolutely, I think, you know, a lot of similarities between me and Luka as he plays at his own pace. He plays at a high IQ. You know, he's a guy who can knock down shots consistently, he uses his body and his footwork real well to maneuver inside the paint, and he's close to unstoppable, man.
"When you watch him you're like: 'How is he getting by people?' The same things people used to say to me, but he has tremendous IQ, great footwork, great size, and great shooting ability."
Doncic led the league in the playoffs, scoring with 31.7 points per game. He also averaged 9.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game in the postseason.